Every fleet manager knows that maintenance costs can quietly eat into profits. But what’s surprising is that many of those expenses shouldn’t have been paid at all.

From engines and transmissions to tires and electronics, most parts come with warranties. Yet, when a repair is needed, many fleets forget (or don’t know) to check if the repair is still covered.

This is where warranty capture comes in. It’s a simple but powerful process that ensures you never pay for repairs that the manufacturer, dealer, or component supplier should cover.

What Is Warranty Capture?

Warranty capture means identifying, submitting, and recovering costs for repairs that are under warranty. Think of it as catching savings before they slip through the cracks.

Every vehicle has multiple warranties running at the same time — one from the vehicle manufacturer, another from component suppliers, and maybe an extended warranty from a third party. When a part fails, you should first ask:

 “Is this covered under warranty?”

If the answer is yes, you save both time and money. But without a system in place, these savings often go unnoticed, and fleets end up paying for repairs twice - once through purchase and again through maintenance.

Why Warranty Capture Matters?

Ignoring warranties is like leaving money on the table. Here’s why this small change can make a big difference:

1. Saves Real Money:  A good warranty capture system can save fleets 5–10% of their annual maintenance spend. For a fleet with 100 vehicles, that could mean tens of thousands of dollars saved each year.
2. Improves Maintenance Planning: When you know which repairs are covered, you can schedule them better, avoid unnecessary approvals, and stretch your maintenance budget further.
3. Reduces Downtime: Covered repairs can be handled faster when routed through authorized service centers. This means less time off the road and more time earning revenue.
4. Keeps Vendors Accountable: Tracking failures helps you identify which parts or vendors cause repeat issues and gives you the leverage to demand better quality or replacements.

How to Build a Simple Warranty Capture System

Even if your fleet is small, you don’t need fancy software to start capturing warranties. What you need is a clear process and discipline.

Keep All Warranty Information in One Place

Create a record for every vehicle and piece of equipment. Include:

• Purchase date and mileage/hour reading
• Warranty start and end dates
• Coverage type (time-based or mileage-based)
• OEM or vendor contact details

This can be as simple as an Excel sheet or a table inside your fleet management software. The goal is to know at a glance which warranties are still active.

Check Warranty Before Every Repair

Before approving any repair, make it standard practice to ask:

 “Is this still under warranty?”

If yes, send it to the authorized workshop. If no, go ahead with internal repairs. Adding one simple question in your work order system or repair checklist can prevent unnecessary spending.

Document Everything

Whenever a part fails, keep a record of what happened.

Take a photo, note the mileage, save the invoice, and describe the problem. This documentation is what manufacturers ask for when processing a warranty claim.

Good records not only speed up approval but also protect you from future disputes.

Train Your Team

Warranty capture doesn’t work if only one person knows about it. Everyone involved  (from the technician to the admin) should understand how to identify warranty cases and record them correctly.

Train them to tag repairs, save documentation, and check expiry dates. This one-time training can prevent thousands in lost savings every year.

Set Alerts for Expiring Warranties

Add reminders or notifications for warranties nearing expiration.

When a vehicle’s warranty is about to end in 30 or 60 days, inspect it for possible issues while it’s still covered. This simple step can turn a potential expense into a free repair.

Using Software for Warranty Management

As your fleet grows, tracking warranties manually becomes difficult. That’s where fleet management software can help.

Modern platforms like Simply Fleet can:

• Store warranty start and end dates
• Flag work orders that may be covered
• Send alerts before warranties expire
• Track claims and recoveries

Even small fleets can use simple tools like Google Sheets with automated reminders or low-cost warranty-tracking add-ons. 

Common Mistakes Fleets Make

Here are a few common pitfalls that lead to lost warranty claims and how to avoid them:

Final Thoughts

Every fleet, big or small, has money hidden in warranties. The trick is to build a system that finds it before it’s lost.

Even a simple tracker, when used consistently, can prevent you from paying for repairs already covered.

Start capturing your warranties today. At Simply Fleet, we help fleets reduce maintenance costs through data-driven warranty tracking and repair automation. Book a free consultation today and see how much your fleet can save this year.

‍